The end of World War II in 1945 led to a new era in weapons development. The beginning of the Cold War in the second half of the 20th century led to the advent of a new age in which aircraft speeds increased by leaps and bounds due to the application of turbojet and turbofan engines. Ballistic missiles have also led to the development of new payload-delivery vehicles over longer ranges. The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, aided by medium-range terrain-hugging and radar-evading cruise missiles, played a huge role in the domain of tactical/theatre-level battlefields. The widespread deployment of heavy armour, along with cutting-edge guided artillery systems, set a new benchmark in the history of modern warfare.

While the primary focus of the two superpowers, the US and the Soviet Union, during the Cold War was on the development and testing of weapons of mass destruction and heavy intercontinental ranged ballistic missiles tipped with nuclear and thermonuclear warheads capable of wiping out entire metropolitan cities, the focus shifted towards the development of precision strike and purpose-built weapons in the last two decades of the 20th century. Whether it be a strategic level battlefield or a tactical level war, the intention was to reach the necessary objectives at the earliest without prolonging the conflict. Smart weapons with increased lethality and precision remain an area undergoing evolution and massive technological transformation since the beginning of the new millennium. Facing an unstable Pakistan in the west and an expansionist China on the east and northeast frontiers, India must tread the path towards the development of a whole gamut of next-generation smart and lethal weapons.

While conventional anti-satellite weapons armed with kinetic kill vehicles and anti-aircraft missiles tipped with incendiary/explosive warheads have been persisting for a long time, the focus has now shifted towards the development of new generation directed energy weapons capable of destroying aerial targets and space-based threats with high energy pulses and lasers. Such weapons can also use particle beams and microwaves to fuse and burn high-velocity mobile targets.

In the United States of America, organizations like DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency), the Pentagon, AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory), ARDEC (Armament Research Development and Engineering Centre), and NRL (Naval Research Laboratory) are actively working towards the development of directed energy weapons for anti-ballistic missile and anti-cruise missile warfare. The focus is on shooting down targets flying at hypersonic and high-hypersonic velocities. Russia, China, and the United Kingdom are also working on similar weapons. India is actively pursuing the same, albeit in a covert manner. The DURGA (Directionally Unrestricted Ray Gun Array) and KALI (Kilo Ampere Linear Injector) weapons have been in the works since the late 1980s.

While DURGA is expected to be a space-based laser weapon capable of destroying satellites in any orbit, KALI is speculated to be a linear electron initiator capable of firing very powerful pulses of Relativistic Electron Beams (REB). The new weapon is being jointly developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Unlike laser weapons, KALI will not bore a hole in the surface of the target but rather fuse all electronic systems in it. It can be used as a beam weapon emitting large bursts of microwaves packed with gigawatts of power. When aimed at hostile aircraft and missiles, it can burn the onboard computer chips along with electronic circuitry and bring them down immediately. KALI is also capable of converting electron energy to EM (Electromagnetic) radiation, which can be further adjusted to flash X-Rays and high-powered Microwave frequencies as per operational needs. The weapon can be used as a high-powered microwave gun against flying projectiles.

Some of the Kali series of accelerators, like KALI-80, KALI-200, KALI-1000, KALI-5000, and KALI-10000, are described as ‘Single Shot Pulse Gigawatt Electron Accelerators.’ These are single-shot devices using water-filled capacitors to build the charge energy. The discharge is in the range of 1 gigawatt. The initial discharge starts at 0.4 gigawatts in some devices and reaches as high as 40 gigawatts. The microwave radiation emitted by KALI-5000 is in the 3 to 5 gigawatt range.

It is noteworthy to mention that the microwave-producing version of KALI has been used by DRDO scientists to test the vulnerability of the electronic systems of the Light Combat Aircraft-Tejas. It has helped in designing electrostatic shields to harden the LCA and missiles from microwave attacks by the enemy, as well as protecting satellites against deadly Electromagnetic Impulses (EMI) generated by nuclear weapons and other cosmic disturbances that can fry and destroy electronic circuits.

The weaponization process of KALI is still under implementation as efforts are underway to make it more compact and improve its recharge time. Multiple components are being developed to make it a fully operational system. According to the latest reports, KALI is currently being integrated for testing onboard an Ilyushin IL-76 military aircraft at an undisclosed location in peninsular India. The prototypes are likely to be airborne versions.

A fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) is a space-based nuclear weapon delivery system through which nuclear and thermonuclear warheads are launched into space (Low Earth Orbit) and brought down near the target cities. As the warheads re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere before completing a full-cycle orbit around the globe, FOBS doesn’t violate the Outer Space Treaty signed in 1967. Similar to a kinetic bombardment system, but with nuclear weapons, FOBS has several attractive qualities. The warheads have no range limits and can be launched over the South and North Poles, evading detection by many of China’s East and West-facing early-warning radars and anti-missile systems. The nuclear payloads can also be launched into near-equatorial orbit as per operational requirements. FOBS payloads are faster than ICBMs (Intercontinental range Ballistic Missiles) and can be launched towards the target from any direction. The system gives the user a massive pre-emptive nuclear strike capability. Russia’s upcoming heavy ICBM, the ‘RS-28 Sarmat,’ has a potential FOBS capability.

As India builds up a steady and large force of active nuclear warheads and long-range ballistic missiles, the country’s future ICBMs like Agni-VI and Surya must be armed with FOBS warheads. This cutting-edge technology will give the country a massive global strike capability with unlimited range, bringing many heavily populated urban centers and big metropolitan cities directly within India’s killing radius. It is high time that the Union government gives the mandatory go-ahead for the Agni-VI ICBM and FOBS programs.

A neutron bomb, also known as an Enhanced Radiation Weapon (ERW), is a low-yield thermonuclear weapon designed to maximize lethal radiation near the blast while minimizing the physical power of the blast itself. The neutron release generated by a nuclear fusion reaction is intentionally allowed to escape the weapon, rather than being absorbed by its other components. The neutron burst, used as the primary destructive action of the warhead, can penetrate enemy armor more effectively than a conventional warhead, making it more lethal as a tactical weapon. ERWs were first operationally deployed for anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs). In this role, the burst of neutrons would cause nearby warheads to undergo partial fission, preventing them from exploding properly. For this to work, the ABM would have to explode within a range of 100 meters from its target.

In a standard thermonuclear design, a small fission bomb (atomic weapon) is placed close to a larger mass of thermonuclear fuel. The two components are then placed within a thick radiation case, usually made from uranium, lead, or steel. The case traps the energy from the fission weapon for a brief period, allowing it to heat and compress the main thermonuclear fuel. The case is normally made of depleted uranium or natural uranium metal because the thermonuclear reactions give off massive numbers of high-energy neutrons that can cause fission reactions in the casing material. These reactions can add considerable energy to the reaction. In a typical design, as much as 50 percent of the total energy comes from fission events in the casing. For this reason, these weapons are technically known as fission-fusion-fission designs. However, in a neutron bomb, the casing material is selected either to be transparent to neutrons or to actively enhance their production. The burst of neutrons created in the thermonuclear reaction is then free to escape the bomb, outpacing the physical explosion. By carefully designing the thermonuclear stage of the weapon, the neutron burst can be maximized while minimizing the blast itself. This makes the lethal radius of the neutron burst greater than that of the explosion itself. Since the neutrons disappear from the environment rapidly, such a burst over an enemy armored column would kill the crews and leave the area vulnerable to quick reoccupation.

Compared to a pure fission weapon with an identical explosive yield, a neutron bomb would emit about ten times the amount of neutron radiation. In a fission bomb at sea level, the total radiation pulse energy, composed of both gamma rays and neutrons, is approximately 5 percent of the entire energy released. However, in neutron bombs, it would be closer to 40 percent, with the increased percentage coming from the higher production of neutrons. Furthermore, the neutrons emitted by a neutron bomb have a much higher average energy level (close to 14 MeV) than those released during a fission reaction (1 to 2 MeV). Neutron bombs are designed to cause more damage to life than property and can be used against invading ground forces.

An electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) is a device that uses electromagnetic force to launch high-velocity projectiles. It works by employing a sliding armature that is rapidly accelerated through a pair of conductive rails. Instead of relying on conventional or incendiary explosives in the warhead, the projectile utilizes enormous kinetic energy to hit and destroy the target. The railgun is based on the principles of the homopolar motor. While normal explosive-powered guns typically cannot achieve a muzzle velocity of more than 2 km per second, railgun-based projectiles can reach speeds of over 3 km per second. Increased muzzle velocities, combined with better aerodynamically streamlined projectiles, offer the advantages of extended firing ranges. Furthermore, higher terminal velocities enable the use of kinetic energy rounds incorporating hit-to-kill guidance, serving as replacements for explosive shells. Therefore, typical military railgun designs strive for muzzle velocities in the range of 2 to 3.5 km per second, with muzzle energies ranging from 5 to 50 Megajoules.

Railguns have been under development in the United States, Germany, Turkey, and China for the past couple of decades. India has also joined the race to develop these next-generation weapon systems. In 1994, India’s DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment developed a railgun with muzzle energies of 240 Kilojoules, utilizing a low inductance capacitor bank operating at 5 Kilovolt power, capable of launching projectiles weighing 3 to 3.5 grams at a velocity of over 2 km per second. On November 6, 2017, India made significant progress in developing futuristic weapon platforms when the country tested an electromagnetic railgun capable of firing a projectile at a speed exceeding 6 km per second. DRDO officials claimed to have tested a 12 mm square bore EMRG (Electromagnetic Railgun) and stated that they would move on to the 30 mm variety in the next stage. At a time when India faces hostile neighbors in South Asia, railgun-based surface-to-surface and surface-to-air weapons will prove to be a game-changer for the country’s military. Efforts should be focused on increasing research and development expenditures to facilitate the development and operational deployment of such advanced systems on the tactical level battlefield.

The Laser Ordnance Disposal System, developed by DRDO, is an engineered vehicle-mounted laser system designed for the standoff neutralization of explosive hazards such as surface munitions, unexploded ordnances (UXOs), and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from safe, stand-off ranges. The system consists of a laser system and its support systems, including a compact electrical generator, mounted onto a vehicle for standalone operation.

The overall system includes a Beam Directing Optical Channel, a motorized beam director assembly integrated with a high-accuracy laser range finder (LRF)-assisted autofocusing system, and a 2-axis servo pedestal for precise pointing and directing of the high-power laser beam onto the target. The waste heat generated in the laser source is managed through a thermal management chiller unit. For target sighting, a day camera with variable zoom, integrated and bore-sighted with the laser head, is used. Additionally, a visible (green) laser beam is provided for target designation.

The entire operation of the system is controlled by a single operator through a command control console (HMI) located in the co-driver’s seat. The system can be modified accordingly for higher or lower-power lasers, either on the same or different vehicles or tripods, to accommodate different versions of the Laser Ordnance Disposal System.

Over the past two decades, we have witnessed the emergence of ramjet-powered terrain-hugging supersonic cruise missiles like BrahMos. However, the focus is now shifting towards the development of more lethal hypersonic cruise missiles powered by scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) engines. The DRDO is currently working on the HSTDV (Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle) project, while simultaneously developing another game-changing weapon system in the same category, BrahMos-2.

The HSTDV, capable of flying at speeds of up to Mach-12 (14,817 km/h), has the ability to penetrate any anti-aircraft or endo-atmospheric anti-missile interceptor due to its high-hypersonic velocity. On the other hand, prestigious academic institutions in India and Russia, namely IISc-Bangalore and Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), are actively collaborating on the heatshield development for the BrahMos-2 hypersonic missile, which is designed to fly at velocities of up to Mach-7 (8,650 km/h). The prototypes of BrahMos-2 are expected to be ready for flight testing within the next three to four years, while the DRDO is nearing the completion of the HSTDV project, which is set to undergo its fourth flight test soon, utilizing a slow-burning propellant in the booster rocket.

In the pursuit of India’s aspiration to become a 21st-century global military superpower under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the uninterrupted development of smart and lethal weapons for both tactical and strategic battlefields is of the utmost importance. As the great Indian scholar Vishnu Gupta once aptly said: “The power of a king lies in his mighty arms. Security of citizens during peacetime is of paramount importance because the state is the only savvier for men and women who suffer solely due to the negligence of the state.” This age-old doctrine remains relevant and universally applicable in the 21st century and the new millennium.